1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of correcting a mailing address and more particularly to maintaining a correct, updated address list for mass mailing.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Postal Service processes and delivers millions of pieces of mail each year. The efficiency of the postal system is impacted when address information on a mailpiece is not correct. The mail system works most efficiently when a mailpiece is addressed exactly correctly, and it costs the USPS more money to deliver improperly addressed mailpieces.
Likewise, certain bulk mailers or mass mailers have a strong economic interest in seeing that they have the most up to date and accurate mailing information for its intended addressees. Improperly addressed items that do not reach the intended recipient are a direct lost cost to the mailer. Mailpieces that must be redirected may lose their timeliness and thus their effectiveness for the mailer.
Delivery service providers, including mail delivery providers such as the USPS, are also faced with certain challenges presented by customers who change address. Misdirected mail that arises when a customer relocates is a source of inefficiency to the entity sending the mail. Likewise the time and resources expended by the entity handling the mail also represent lost resources. The USPS for example handles millions of mailpiece items in a calendar year, and the inefficiency and waste associated with misdirected mail carries significant costs.
In addition to typical change of address occurrences occasioned by the move of an individual addressee, postal delivery addresses themselves may change. A postal delivery address, even though established, may have changes made, for example, to the street name, the secondary information like apartment numbers, or even the ZIP code or the plus four add-on.
The intelligent ZIP+4 (IZ4) can use the Delivery Point Bar Code (DPBC) from a ZIP+4 reference product and maintain updates or changes to that record.
As is currently known, a mailer, or anyone with an address list, can run the address list through a reference database product. The current address database product assigns the correct ZIP+4 code to a physical address and standardizes the addresses. This reference product is commonly referred to as a ZIP+4 engine. The ZIP+4 engine accepts street addresses with a city and state and attempts to match them against a database that has all possible addresses within that geographical area.
However, there are limitations to the ZIP+4 engine. For example, it does not verify that the address is correct. It merely indicates that the address is within the range of addresses on that street in that city. If the street name changes or a renumbering of any kind occurs, then the ZIP+4 engine may not make a match or may make an incorrect match and the owner of the address list may have corrupted the address.
The Postal Service estimates that there is quite a significant number of address changes that do occur. On an annual basis it is estimated that 20% of all postal addresses experience a change of some kind. The change may be to the physical address such as a street name, number or ZIP code. Also included within this number are changes that do not appear on the physical address, but are nonetheless important to mass mailers. This information includes items such as drop off points, equipment, and packaging information. Mailers use all of this information to efficiently communicate with their addressees.
Thus there is a need for an improved address correction method. The improved method should allow a mailer to check information on an address list for any changes to the postal delivery address. It is desired that a correction method would identify changes to postal addresses such as renamed streets, renumbering of apartments, or ZIP code changes.
It is further desired that an improved address correction method provide updated address information on a regular and periodic basis. In this way mailers can continuously update mailing lists when sending out mailings on a periodic basis.
It is also desired that an improved address correction method be made accessible to the mailing public through software and software applications now in use by mailers. In this way mailers can use the product without significant changes to data processing operations.